Chapter Text
“Okay, so”, Annie said in the next morning, after having munched down a few forkfuls of ham and eggs and having praised them properly, “we now know it wasn’t Vandermeer, but his creepy assistant. And I can confirm that he didn’t lie when he said that. Check this out.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a tablet, tapping and swiping on it for a bit before she turned it so Maeve and Sam cold both see the screen, the video already playing and zoomed in on Preston, Maeve raising her eyebrows when she saw a brief flash of bright blue in his eyes when he shook at first her hand, then Sam’s.
“That was his power kicking in, definitely”, she said as Maeve frowned, “maybe it needs a combination of touch and this weird flash in his eyes, or that is what shows when he uses it.”
“He used it on both Sam and me though”, Maeve pointed out, still frowning, “look, that flash thing happens both times. Why did he have her go after me then? If he could have used it on me, too?”
“Maybe you’re immune”, Sam guessed, shrugging at the skeptical look that earned her, “what? You might be. With Psycholander gone, you’re like the strongest supe. Maybe that shit doesn’t work on you.”
“The strongest known supe”, Maeve corrected her, Sam handwaving that with a gesture of her hand and a muttered “technicalities”, “and that I’m physically strong doesn’t mean I’m immune to this sort of thing.”
“Well, if he did try his mind mojo on you, clearly it didn’t work”, Annie commented, shrugging when Maeve still looked skeptical, “cause, no offense Sam, but she tried to kick your ass, not the other way round.”
“Which is very fortunate”, Sam was quick to say, nodding for emphasis, “cause I definitely would have lost that fight. And maybe a few teeth in that process. Or a few limbs.”
“That he hasn’t made me do that so far doesn’t mean he can’t”, Maeve quietly said, both Sam and Annie pausing as they realized that Maeve was honestly concerned about this, “and if he does… We know how that might end. Vandermeer did say it won’t end until I’m beaten, and if he can’t accomplish that by having you go after me, he might try another route.”
“Well, we’ll know to be on our guard in case you start having nightmares of me trying to murder you”, Sam said, her tone deliberately light, “cause that’s how it started for me, remember. And once I was tired as fuck, he swooped in, that must have made it easier for him or something.”
“Maybe we can get him before that happens”, Annie suggested as Maeve still looked worried, “and force him to undo whatever it was he did. He must be sticking close to Vandermeer, especially now after we actually kidnapped him.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have just let that guy go”, Sam grumbled, displaying a rare vindictive streak, but Maeve had to admit she had a point, “now he’ll make sure we won’t get anywhere near him again. Or near his creepy friend.”
“At least he’ll try”, Annie said somewhat dryly, “not to remind you of your own powers, but you could get us near them any time you want.”
“She can”, Maeve said before Sam could speak up, “but we should find out if there is protection against his mind control bullshit before we go anywhere near them. I don’t want us to turn on each other because he’s using his mojo.”
“Yeah, good point”, Annie nodded, she knew that she in person was in no danger of being turned by Preston, not having shook his hand, but she didn’t want to imagine Maeve under his influence, “I’ll see what I can find out. My source at Vought might be able to help.”
“Until then, I guess we just have to be careful”, Sam commented, earning nods from the other two women, “and maybe keep each other updated on our dreams. That I broke free from his control probably doesn’t mean that he can’t get it back.”
“We do not want that”, Maeve said emphatically, making it her partner’s turn to nod, “once was bad enough.”
“I’ll look into that”, Annie promised, taking another sip of her coffee before she went on, “and you guys stay away from Vought. If they want you at the trial again, make up some excuse or something.”
“I’m not sure it works that way”, Maeve told her, earning a sigh as Annie herself was very aware of this as well, “but if we’re lucky, it won’t take long for you to find something. Shit, I wish I’d still have at least some contacts to other supes, but except from you guys…”
“Don’t look at me”, Sam said before Maeve or Annie actually could do that, “I’ve never been big on hanging with the whole supe community. Too crazy for me. No offense.”
“None taken”, Maeve was quick to say, Annie nodding her agreement; realizing that breakfast was done and that they had nothing else to talk about for the moment, the younger woman then got up from her seat and told them she’d get to work then, and that she’d contact them the moment she’d know something.
“For now, I gotta get back to the farm”, she added, “Hughie gets nervous if he’s left alone for too long with the kids, they can be a bit of a handful. You guys take care until then.”
“You too”, Maeve told her, walking her to the door afterwards; they hugged briefly before Annie headed out, and when Maeve returned to the kitchen, she could tell at once that somehow, Sam’s mood had shifted during the thirty seconds she had been gone, for a moment worried that the mind control was kicking in again, but then her girlfriend looked up at her and their eyes met, and Maeve could tell that at least, that hadn’t happened.
“It’s not just the dreams”, she said before Maeve had the chance to ask, prompting her to quickly move to her side and place a comforting hand on her back, able to tell how tense she was even before she did so, “you’ll know when he tries to take control. Maybe if you know what it feels like, you can… I don’t know, fight it or something.”
Sensing Sam had more to say, Maeve didn’t say anything, but just looked at her, watching how she pulled in a deep breath, gathering her thoughts; finally, she did speak up, and her words made Maeve’s heart ache, and she hoped she’d never have to experience what the other woman was describing.
“It started just after I’d left the therapist’s office”, Sam told her, not looking at her though, keeping her gaze focused on her empty plate, “it was like… these fingers in my brain, messing everything up and forcing their way into my thoughts, and then they turned into a fist and just smashed their way in. There was this little part of me left, what you called the real me, and…”
She fell silent and swallowed heavily, Maeve rubbing her back soothingly in response, oddly reminded of the last time one of them had been upset, but their roles had been reversed then, she’d been the one to receive comfort after a nightmare, and she now found herself hoping that she could give it as well as receiving it.
“And that part kept screaming at the rest to stop”, Sam finally said, running a now shaky hand through her hair, “but I just couldn’t, I wasn’t… strong enough. So that part of me could just watch and listen and… I was so scared that you’d believe it. That you’d think I hated you and wanted you dead.”
“I didn’t believe that for a second”, Maeve was quick to reassure her, glad that she had said the right thing as this earned her a weak smile, “I knew something weird was going on. And you were strong enough in the end, you did snap out of it.”
“Couldn’t have done it without you”, Sam told her, making it Maeve’s turn to smile, “what you said to me let me do that. Thank you.”
“Nothing to thank me for”, Maeve let her know, grasping the taller woman’s hand with her free one now, keeping the other on her back just to show that she was there and close, “I just… I wish I could have told you that I love you before this. Because I do. I love you.”
“I love you, too”, the other woman said, making Maeve smile again, “and I’ve told you, I knew without you telling me. I’d lie though if I said it wasn’t nice to hear it out loud.”
Maeve just gave her another smile, then pulled her in for a kiss, glad that she had been able to make her feel better and that now, she knew what to expect in case the mind control was used on her, even though she knew she had no idea if she’d be able to withstand it, knowing she’d only find out once it’d happen… and hoping that then, she wouldn’t learn the hard way that she couldn’t.